KYOTO –
Three individuals, together with a former chief priest, have been arrested over the alleged takeover of a historic Buddhist temple in central Kyoto, with investigators suspecting they bought temple-owned land and buildings with out authorization for about 226 million yen, leaving the 300-year-old establishment with nearly none of its property past its important corridor and grounds.
The case facilities on Saiganji Temple, a Jodo Buddhist temple believed to have been based through the Edo interval. The arrests have uncovered a sequence of monetary dealings that reportedly started with a proposal to fund repairs to the temple’s leaking roof and ultimately led to the unauthorized sale of precious actual property.
Police arrested three suspects in September on suspicion {of professional} embezzlement and fraud: Hiroya Taguchi, 42; his mom, Jikun Suzuki, 72; and the temple’s former chief priest, Jikyo Osaka, 74.
Investigators imagine the three conspired to promote land and buildings owned by Saiganji to an actual property firm with out acquiring approval from the spiritual company answerable for working the temple. The properties had been reportedly bought for about 226 million yen, however not one of the proceeds reached the temple.
A senior temple official expressed disbelief on the alleged betrayal, saying, “It’s shocking. How could something like this happen?”
According to temple representatives, the occasions resulting in the arrests started in 2022, when rainwater began leaking by way of the roof of the primary corridor. Officials thought of repairs important as a result of the constructing may not be used safely in its deteriorating situation.
The estimated price of repairs was as a lot as 50 million yen, prompting discussions about the right way to elevate the required funds.
During these discussions, Osaka launched Suzuki, whom he had reportedly met at an occasion organized by the temple. Suzuki offered what seemed to be an unusually profitable funding alternative, promising a considerable return in change for monetary assist.
“If you invest 10 million yen, I’ll pay you 6 million yen in dividends,” Suzuki reportedly instructed temple officers.
Two senior representatives had been instantly suspicious of the proposal.
A lay consultant of the temple mentioned Suzuki’s method and the extraordinary returns she promised satisfied him that the association was fraudulent.
“I thought she was clearly a fraudster. It was the way she spoke and carried herself. She calmly said she would pay dividends. You would never hear something like that in ordinary society, but she spoke as though it were perfectly normal,” he recalled.
Osaka, nonetheless, apparently regarded the proposal as enticing and steadily got here to put rising belief in Suzuki.
According to temple officers, Suzuki and her son Taguchi had been ultimately given duty for managing the temple’s funds. They allegedly started withdrawing cash from its accounts, steadily depleting its monetary reserves.
Asked how a lot cash had disappeared, the lay consultant estimated the losses at roughly 50 million yen.
“I think they took 50 million yen. There probably isn’t a single yen left,” he mentioned.
Temple representatives mentioned the suspects then turned their consideration to the establishment’s actual property holdings.
A senior official described the properties as intensive, overlaying roughly 100 tsubo, equal to about 330 sq. meters, or presumably extra.
The land and buildings had generated rental earnings of roughly 1 million yen per thirty days, offering the temple with a precious supply of normal income.
However, the properties had been bought to an actual property firm with out the required authorization, allegedly with the involvement of Osaka, who was serving as chief priest on the time.
The sale left Saiganji with none of its actual property holdings other than the primary corridor and temple grounds. Officials mentioned the establishment obtained not one of the proceeds, regardless of dropping property that had generated substantial month-to-month earnings.
The revelations have deeply affected these concerned in managing the temple, significantly as a result of the alleged wrongdoing concerned the priest entrusted with defending its pursuits.
Asked about Osaka’s actions, one senior temple official struggled to precise his emotions.
“I can’t find the right words,” he mentioned.
The lay consultant supplied a extra reflective evaluation, suggesting that Osaka could have turn into more and more entangled within the association and ultimately discovered himself unable to withdraw.
“He may be the one who regrets it the most. Once things started rolling, perhaps he couldn’t find a way to get off,” the consultant mentioned.
All three suspects have partially denied the allegations throughout police questioning, though they’ve acknowledged sure points of the property transactions.
Suzuki admitted that the true property had been bought with out following the required procedures however denied conspiring with the opposite suspects.
“It is true that the property was sold without completing the necessary procedures. However, I did not conspire with Taguchi and the others,” she reportedly instructed investigators.
Taguchi maintained that he believed approval had been obtained from the temple’s accountable officers.
“I thought we had the consent of the board members,” he mentioned.
Osaka additionally acknowledged the property gross sales however sought to distance himself from duty for arranging them.
“It is true that the real estate was sold, but Suzuki and Taguchi were the ones handling the process,” he instructed police.
Osaka additional admitted that, looking back, he ought to have insisted that the proposed gross sales be formally submitted for approval.
“Looking back now, I should have said that a resolution was necessary,” he reportedly instructed investigators.
Police are persevering with their investigation into the alleged embezzlement and fraudulent property transactions, together with the opportunity of further offenses linked to the temple’s funds.
The case has left Saiganji, an establishment with roughly three centuries of historical past, dealing with the lack of precious property and rental earnings, whereas elevating questions on monetary oversight and governance inside spiritual organizations.
Source: FNN